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The Oyster Bay refuge, skirting the north shore of Long Island 20 miles east of New York City, protects a valuable marine sanctuary of shallow bays and salt marshes surrounding Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, the former home of Theodore Roosevelt.
Access is primarily by boat from town launches or Long Island Sound. Activities include wildlife observation, fishing and shellfishing (by permit only).
Saltwater gamefish include bluefish, striped bass, winter flounder, fluke, porgy and black bass.
Tidal habitats abound with marine invertebrates, shellfish and fish.
The only remaining commercial oyster farm in New York state operates on the refuge. Ninety percent of the oysters harvested in the state come from the refuge.
From October through April, more than 20,000 waterfowl have been documented.
Dominant species include the declining greater scaup and black duck. Other common waterfowl include bufflehead, long-tailed duck, canvasback and red-breasted merganser.
Cormorants, herons and egrets, shorebirds, osprey, gulls, terns and loons also use the refuge.
The most common marine mammal is harbor seals. Sea turtles and diamondback terrapins also make use of the refuge's habitats.
Outdoor Activities |
